LP: Tales From Club Rouge
by Xada91
Summary: A series of one-shots devoted to the crew of Club Rouge. Mainly done to write about Tim the Cat more, along with some Shadouge. These are essentially LP Off-shoots based around Club Rouge.
1. Rubies and Mistletoe: Part 1: Heartbreak

A/N: This was originally the Christmas themed LP Off-shoot, it's here because I felt it was a nice way to open up a new fic while neglecting the many I have going currently. And I am still working on Living Pains, so please enjoy. Or not. The choice is yours; I'm just here to write.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Rubies and Mistletoe

Part 1: Heartbreak

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"Rouge." The ebony hedgehog said in acknowledgement as he fell into step with the ivory bat.

"Shadow." She grinned when he refused to look at her for a moment. She loved it when he played coy like this. "So?"

"Yes." He answered quietly, a sly smile on his face. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his, gripping tightly as they walked up to their nightclub.

"I knew you'd say yes." The bat was incredibly self-satisfied. She had actually been a little worried the dark hedgehog would turn don her offer. It had been a while since she had been on date with a good looking guy. They walked into the club to find a light-grey cat curled up on a table, sleeping soundly. Letting go of Shadow's arm, the bat walked up to the table and knocked it over, spilling the now awake cat onto the floor.

"Hey Tim." Shadow called from across the dance floor, having decided to replace some of the older lights.

"'Ello boss-man." The cat yelled back, dusting himself off. He glanced at the irritated looking bat next to him. "Morning boss-lady, how can I help you?"

"Tim, I thought I told you to set this place up for Christmas."

"Yeah…I never really celebrated Christmas growing up." He said grinning sheepishly.

"Were you poor?" She felt bad for the cat if he was deprived of spending the holidays with his family.

"Jewish actually. And colorblind." He looked over were Shadow was attempting to change the lights by himself. "Oy! Want me to hold the ladder?"

"Thanks." Shadow said to his mentally unstable friend. Together they managed to keep all but one of the lights from being broken. While they were changing the lights Rouge had come across to brilliant ideas. The first was to have the lights replaced with red and green bulbs. The second was to bring up the impending date while Shadow was unable to escape.

"So where are you taking me for our date?" She asked in an innocent voice. The hedgehog started and nearly fell off the ladder, a fact not helped by Tim's letting go.

"You're going out?" He asked with an odd look on his face.

"Yes we are." She winked at the distressed hedgehog, knowing he was in too precarious a situation to reach for his gun. She was brought out of her thoughts by the cat laughing loudly and pulling her into a hug.

"Congratulations Mrs. Boss!" He yelled before running back to the ladder as Shadow fell, taking another light with him. Looking down at the shattered glass thoughtfully for a moment Tim glanced up at Shadow. In voice that sounded as though he were revealing some profound truth he said, "You dropped something."

"I worry about you sometimes Tim." The ebony hedgehog sighed, rubbing his head in frustration. Those lights cost money they had yet to earn from the party. That means they just lost money pointlessly.

"Don't worry Shadow, we'll come out ahead. We always do." The bat said, flying up to the ceiling to adjust one of the lights.

"Normally I would ask you why you didn't help us, thus saving those lights. But you're look especially…you-like today so I'll let it pass. Besides, we've never held a birthday party here, much less one for Christmas."

"And we've never had to deal with the drama of you two dating. Poor timing by the way." Tim chimed in, a slushie held tightly in his grip. The two owners blushed slightly, Rouge glaring at the cat while Shadow avoided looking at either of them. "When's Sheila getting here?" He asked, seemingly oblivious to the tangible rage coming from the bat.

"She's late actually." Shadow muttered, causing the others concern. Sheila Ramirez, the cook for Club Rouge, was almost never late. Shadow could count on one hand how many times she had been late, and ever single one of them had one thing in common. "Oh crap." He muttered quietly.

"I'll get the dump kit." Rouge sighed, her hatred of Tim momentarily forgotten. The cat in question had literally jumped behind the bar and was currently mixing the vixen's favorite drink. Shadow once again rubbed his head. The only time Sheila was late was if she had been dumped. This rarely ended well for the guy due to Tim and Shadow's 'No Breaking Our Girls' Hearts' policy. The enforcement of which normally involved large, heavy objects, no small amount of psychological scaring and the looking the other way done by local law-enforcement.

"Tim, tell me when she get's here." Shadow said, heading into the back to help get the kitchen ready. After roughly ten minutes he heard the door slam open, high-heeled boots stomping across the dance floor and Tim yelling that Sheila had arrived. When he returned to the front he found her yelling at Tim, something about being useless and no one wanting to be alone around her.

"Bunch of jerks! That's all there are, just a bunch of jerks…" She trailed off, her head on the counter. Shadow could hear her crying quietly as she nursed her drink. He walked up to the bar and sat next to her. None of them said a word, both guys waiting for her to speak when she was ready. After a few silent minutes she looked at the hedgehog sitting next to her. "So…" She trailed off, sniffing slightly. "Who is she?" The much suffering hedgehog sighed as she displayed her mysterious talent even in this situation.

"Rouge." He said, shrugging despite himself. The young vixen wrapped her arms around him silently. After a brief moment he did the same, rubbing her back softly. "You peoples' turned me into a big softy." He joked, causing the girl to giggle in spite of herself.

"Can I have hug?" Tim asked sarcastically.

"A big softy that will still shoot his friends for messing with him." He threatened lightly.

"I blame the rabbits." Tim said, referring to Cream, whom Shadow babysat on a regular basis, and her mother.

"Hey, Cream is adorable." Sheila said in mock anger. She finally pulled away from Shadow's embrace.

"You good to work tonight?" Rouge asked sitting next to Shadow and looking down the bar to the vixen.

"Yeah."

"What happened?" Tim asked, all traces of levity gone from his features. For a moment they thought she would burst into tears again.

"Mark broke up with me. Again." She said quietly.

"Tim add him to the 'Failed to Learn his Lesson the First Time' list." Shadow told the cat calmly.

"You got it boss-man." Tim pulled out a black book and paused before writing down the double offender's name. "Before or after Jet?"

"Before, Jet's just annoying." Rouge said, trying to keep some of their customers alive.

"Okay." Tim made a few marks on the paper before scribbling something out furiously. "He's next."

"Really? We're ahead of schedule." Shadow remarked, surprised with their efficiency at revenge.

"Well that's what happens when you come across three double-offenders at once." The cat closed the book and placed in one of his pockets.

"Right. We'll be back girls." Shadow said, giving Rouge a quick peck on the cheek. Grabbing his baseball from next the door Tim joined Shadow to hunt down the scum that hurt one of their girls. After all, revenge is the second-best medicine.


	2. Rubies and Mistletoe: Part 2: Vengence

A/N: Part two of the first Tale From Club Rouge. This, ironically, takes place outside of Club Rouge. And since I really don't care about Mark, he can be whatever you like. This is slightly AU to Living Pains. A fact that will be explored later.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Rubies and Mistletoe

Part 2: Vengeance

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Club Rouge had a few unwritten rules that both the employees and customers were expected to follow. One such rule was obvious: everyone must wash their hands before leaving the bathroom. Another is to leave any violent problems at the door. Whether the female crewmembers admitted it or not, there was another rule. This rule, while the most broken, is also the most severely enforced. The rule is simple: you break an employee's heart, Shadow and Tim will break you. Sometimes with backup, other times the perpetrator wouldn't be so lucky. The punishment for all rules was doubled for repeat offenders.

Mark was a repeat offender of the golden rule. He had just broken the heart of Sheila, the cook at Club Rouge for the second time. He had grown tired of how clingy the girl was so he got rid of her. As far as he was concerned, it was for the best. This way he wouldn't have to deal with her and she could learn to depend on herself. Mark was a giver really; he deserved a medal for what he had done for the girl.

He glanced up as he passed a dark-grey cat tossing a baseball in the air, humming loudly. The cat smiled pleasantly and nodded to Mark, who returned the gesture, a little confused. He could have sworn he'd met that cat before. He paused and was about to turn around when he was struck from behind. He fell to the ground clutching his head. The baseball rolled passed him and he looked up to follow its path. He jerked his gaze upward at the sound of running footsteps. He looked up just as a red and white shoe crashed into his head.

"Why do they never learn?" A deep voice, the one that had kicked him asked the cat. The feline had scooped the ball up and was tossing it from one hand to another. Mark was too stunned to look at his second assailant.

"Because she's only attracted to idiots." The cat kicked him in the side when he groaned. "Jerks." Another kick. "Losers." He stomped down on Mark's leg. "And players." He finished calmly. By this point Mark was completely lucid, unable to focus on anything.

"Feeling a little aggressive Tim?" Shadow asked his feline friend. Personally he was fighting the urge to pull his gun out and start collecting fingers. He frowned when his phone began to ring. Pulling the offending device out of his pocket he looked at the name it displayed. With a nod for Tim to hide Mark's unconscious form he answered. "Knuckles?"

"Hey Shadow…um, you guys might want to finish up there." The echidna sounded stressed.

"How did you-?"

"I can see you man! Get out of there, someone just called the cops." Shadow spotted his friend at the window of a coffee shop and waved casually.

"Thanks Knucklehead. Drinks are on me tonight." He hung up and turned to see Tim attempting to shove Mark into a dumpster. "Well Tim, it appears we're going to have to cut this short."

"Aw…I wanted to try out Plan 36." The cat grumbled as they slammed the lid closed on their target. "And what was that about drinks?"

"Whatever. You know the rules; we have to get back to the club before the cops in order to avoid getting arrested."

"Yeah…sorry about last time. I really had to go."

"That's because you drank a two liter during the whole thing." The two friends ran to Shadow's motorcycle. They started the bike and raced to the club, dodging the heavier traffic as best they could. They passed a clothing store on their way, which Shadow had Tim copy down the name of. As they neared Club Rouge it finally began to snow.

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A/N: Yes, yes, I know this part was shorter. But it was either this, more about Mark being a jerk, more beating Mark…for being a jerk, or a long, drawn out police chase. Since the first would be redundant, the second would be abuse of the character, and the last would be boring, we get a short chapter. Yeah. Oh, and if you have an OC I could use as a customer or you would like to have your own LP TFCR, just give me a heads up. Hope you liked it and sorry about the long notes.

- Xada91


	3. Rubies and Mistletoe: Part 3: Gathering

A/N: Part three of the first Tale From Club Rouge.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Rubies and Mistletoe

Part 3: Gathering

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"So, you and Shadow huh?" Sheila asked quietly, having long since run out of tears. That was one thing Rouge liked about the vixen; she always seemed to get over heartbreak when there was work to be done. They had decided to set up the tables for the party the next day. They avoided the stage, hoping Tim wouldn't want to sing at the party. The cat tended to become incredibly inebriated and sing in a voice that literally shattered windows. This was all the more bizarre since the light-grey cat never drank nor did he take any mind-altering chemicals. The oddest part of all this was the fact that he was the club's bartender. Thoughts of the odd cat brought a light blush to Sheila's features.

"Yeah, he finally came around when I asked him out." The bat stretched tiredly, grimacing when her back popped.

"I don't get it. Right now he and Tim are out beating up my ex and Shadow's too timid to ask you out? How does that make sense?" The cook asked as they placed the last tablecloth on the bar.

"I wouldn't call him timid…to his face." The two girls laughed evilly when the hedgehog in question stumbled into the club, Tim close behind. Two large police officers followed right after them. Instead of arresting the two criminals, the older of the two walked up to the girls, panting heavily. "Hello Jon, when'd you become an actual cop?"

"A few weeks ago. Since I've had dealings with the delinquent over there they assigned me to watch the club." Officer Jon Juan Johnson said, gesturing over his shoulder at Tim.

"Love you to buddy!" Tim called with a salute. The cat hopped over the bar, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. "Here you go sir."

"Thank you." The aged police officer drank from the glass slowly. The younger of the two officers approached the bar alongside Shadow. The ebony hedgehog had a deck of cards and a chess set, which he set before the older cop.

"Your pick sir." The part-owner of Club Rouge said simply, gesturing to a large, round table they had set up for just this purpose. He nodded when the officer indicated the deck of cards. "Ladies?" He offered his hand to Rouge with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. The bat returned his smirk as she allowed him to help her out of her chair.

"Oy! Hurry up, this geezer has money for me to earn." Tim said, nudging Warren, the younger cop, in the side. "Oh and the same to all of you. Tim needs some more money in order to pay rent."

"Idiot." Sheila said, using her term of endearment for the cat. He flashed a cheerful grin her way, causing her to blush again.

"Tim," Shadow began with a sigh, "you don't pay rent. You live in the apartment upstairs. You know what? If you lose I'm taking your rent out of your paycheck." The dark-grey cat glared at his friend playfully.

"Those, sah, are words of war! I challenge you on the field of honor!" The cat pointed at Shadow dramatically, only moving his hand when Sheila guided it gently away from her face. "Sorry 'bout that luv." He said with a warm smile before returning to glaring at the hedgehog.

"I'm not going to duel you again Tim, those paint pellets take forever to wash out of my fur." The ruby-eyed hedgehog said dryly.

"You have a point. Well then," the cat sat down sheepishly, "I challenge you on the field of go-fish."

"Great, now shut up and play." Rouge said, staring over her cards at the others. "Sheila, do you have any twos?"

"Go-fish." She eyed her opponents carefully before picking her victim. "Any Jacks Tim?"

"Every time." He grumbled, handing her the card. And so the game progressed, ending in a tie between Rouge and Jon, neither of whom had yet to actually lose a game.

"Seriously! How can they never lose? It doesn't even make sense." Shadow patted his friend on the back, equally confused with the double winning streak.

"They cheat." Said a voice from behind the bar. They turned to see Knuckles fixing himself a drink. "I came in halfway through and decided to answer this little mystery." He said by way of explanation. "You did offer free drinks."

"True." The ebony hedgehog nodded to himself.

"Hey Knucklehead." Sheila greeted the red echidna. She tapped Tim on his shoulder to get his attention "So…Tim?" The cat suddenly snapped his fingers as though he had just remembered something very important.

"Oh yeah, I meant to ask you if you would go to the party with me." He said with his traditional grin plastered on his face. For a moment she was quiet before she slapped him in the face, knocking him out of his chair. "Ow…ii take it that's a-" he was cur off when she pecked him once on the cheek. "Well now I'm completely confused."

"I'm with him. Girl, you crazy." Knuckles told the crimson-cheeked Sheila.

"Idiots, she wanted to ask him herself." Shadow said while taking a sip from a soda he had retrieved from the fridge under the bar.

"And how did you know?" The cat asked, annoyed at his friend for keeping this secret.

"She told me." He said with a shrug. He looked at the two dubious looks his best friends gave him. "What? The only people she has to talk to around here are the three of us and Rouge. She tries to fix everything and you two are...y'know…" Shadow took another swig from his drink.

"We're what?" Tim asked, honestly curious.

"Useless?" Rouge supplied, coming to her boyfriend's aid. The hedgehog nodded and pointed at her as he swallowed.

"There it is." He looked at Knuckles, irritation replacing the amusement on his face. "And you're late. That means you've got bathroom duty for the week."

"How am I late? I got here at three." The echidna gestured at the clock for emphasis.

"Your shift began at one." Tim commented from the floor, enjoying the echidna's embarrassment. "I know because you were supposed to cover us while we were out…" He shot the two police officers a nervous look before continuing. "Running errands."

"Rouge." Shadow said the bat's name to get her attention. While his two friends debated the merits of promptness he took his girlfriend off to the side. "You asked me where we were going tonight?" She grinned at him, knowing this was torture for the dark hedgehog. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' I made a reservation for that new Chinese restaurant." He braced himself for the squeal and was rewarded with a very muted one. She leaned up and kissed him briefly on the lips before walking back towards their friends. She paused halfway and turned to see him still standing there, looking stunned.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" She smirked when he visibly shook off the effect she had on him. "Good boy." She joked, laughing at the obligatory scowl that brought to his features.

"Don't patronize me." He grumbled, taking her hand in his as they returned to the group just as Knuckles knocked Tim out of a chair just as he managed to get onto it.

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A/N: Not really sure about this chapter or about how this is going to fit in with LP and the LP: Off-shoots. And the offer still stands, I would really like some more characters for this. And if you have an idea for a "Tale" that's great, we're still on number one. It was multiple parts or something ridiculously long. Still tempted to do the second option but…I'll stick with this.


	4. Rubies and Mistletoe: Part 4: Rubies

A/N: Part four of the first Tale From Club Rouge. And if you can't tell, this is a belated Christmas special. What better way to start a fic involving characters that work at a club?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Rubies and Mistletoe

Part 4: Rubies

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"So Mrs. Boss," Tim began as he and Rouge were setting up some decorations near the entrance to the club, "how's it going?" Rouge sent the dark-grey cat a suspicious look, which he seemed completely oblivious about.

"Fine, is there something on your mind?" She hoped there was not, she openly had little to no respect for the cat. They had met when he and Shadow had been arrested for stealing clothes on the first day the hedgehog had been conscious in months. That tends to dampen any chance of a happy relationship. It didn't help that Tim could have more than afford the clothes; the cat was not in any immediate monetary trouble. He simply enjoyed stealing, a trait Shadow was quick to point out that she shared with the cat. This caused them to argue for nearly a day before the borderline psychopath threatened to retrieve his gun if she did not drop it. She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts by the light-grey cat.

"Just wondering why you would want to go out with Shadow." This caused her to drop the wreath she was holding up to the door and fall off the stool she had been standing on. The infuriating feline casually looked down at her, his eyes revealing neither amusement nor concern. "So how's it going now?"

"Shut up." She muttered standing and rubbing her back-side tenderly. She sent the cause of her pain an irritated look, too embarrassed to properly glare for the moment. "What kind of question is that?"

"I think you should answer the question Rouge." Sheila said, having planned with Tim ahead of time to confront their boss about her relationship with their other boss. Tim flashed Sheila a brief smile before returning to staring at Rouge blankly. The bat was taken aback for a moment by this new turn of events.

"I-I'm not going to dignify that with a response." She shakily announced before storming off to find Shadow and warn him about their employees. "And you two finish up here." She commanded without turning around. She found the hedgehog arranging tables according to the floor plan she had given him beforehand. Across the room Knuckles was doing the same with "help" from the two police officers. Because the club was kept quite warm they had both removed their shirts, to the annoyance of the other males and the enjoyment of the girls. "Shadow." She greeted in their usual fashion. The hedgehog nodded as he placed a last chair at a table.

"Rouge." He stood up and faced his distressed girlfriend. "What's wrong?"

"I was just tag-teamed by the gossip twins." She said wearily, cocking a thumb over her shoulder. He blinked at her, a small smirk playing at his lips. This, combined with the fact that he was shirtless, caused her to stare for a moment before he spoke.

"You and Amy tag-teamed yourself?" He easily dodged her half-hearted retaliatory smack.

"Jerk." She grinned at him before regaining her train of thought. "Tim and Sheila are asking questions."

"Yeah, I put them up to it." He stretched before grabbing his shirt from the table and pulling it on, much to her disappointment.

"Jerk." He jumped slightly when she wrapped her arms around him from behind. He turned in her embrace and looked her in the eye, his hands clasped on the small of her back. Her hands moved to his neck as they looked at each other. The moment was ruined when the door was kicked open.

"Shadow! You guys open yet?" Bado the Hedgehog, one of the club's "frequent flyers." He was one of their most loyal customers and seemed to have appointed himself the same duty as Jon and Warren. His quills were short compared to Shadow and Sonic, only slightly longer than the rest of his fur. Even though it was snowing he was wearing his favorite shirt; blue, short-sleeved with "UW4GM Sports Team" on the front. In yet another rebellion against the cold he was wearing blue shorts and red sneakers. At his barging in the two officers immediately went for their guns. Looking at Shadow for direction, they took cover behind one of the tables. "Who're they?" Bado asked, gesturing at the two cops, not really caring that they had guns pointed at him. He had one of his own after all. Taking one hand from Rouge, Shadow waved for the officers to calm down.

"Bado, you know we aren't open over the holidays." Shadow said to the other black hedgehog. Following the older hedgehog's arm he looked at Rouge for the first time. He then glanced at Shadow, slight amusement in his eyes.

"Dude, if she notices that she's gonna kick the crap out of you." He joked, causing Knuckles to snicker, Shadow to roll his eyes, and Rouge to fume in anger.

"Get out." The ivory bet said, crossing her arms.

"No." Bado taunted, knowing full well that if Tim, Shadow, and Knuckles got involved he wouldn't stand a chance. "Oh, and I was wondering if you were hiring." He spoke to Shadow, purposely ignoring Rouge just to frustrate her.

"We tried that before remember? Now, you should probably leave. We're closed until after New Years and I'm not afraid to kick the crap out of you." Shadow said, almost daring the younger hedgehog to say something to the contrary.

"Fair enough. And for the last time, that wasn't my fault." He said, referring to why he was fired.

"You're the reason we have cops whose job it is to watch the club!" Rouge exclaimed in annoyance.

"Oh, is that why they're here? I told you I'm not into that anymore." He indicated his shirt with a grin. "I'm an upstanding citizen."

"And I'm Santa Clause's mistress!" Tim called from where he and Sheila were attempting to hang a third wreath on the window, following the neutral-toned cat's belief in the "magic" number three. Everyone in the club, besides Sheila and Shadow whom had accepted the cat's insanity, turned and stared at him, without missing a beat he waved and continued helping Sheila.

"Well that happened." Rouge said blankly, before she returned her glare to Bado. "Now get out." Bado raised his arms in mock surrender as he turned to leave.

"Alright, I'm gone. Later Shadow." He patted Tim on the shoulder as he passed. "Get help Tim." And then he walked through the still open door. The light-grey cat closed and locked it behind him. Rouge shot Shadow an annoyed look.

"What? You're the one that yelled at me for trying to break his leg." He said innocently.

"Yeah, and then you had Knuckles do it." She shot back, causing him to smile in satisfaction.

"I'll do it again to!" The echidna called from where he and the officers were righting the tables they had knocked over for cover. Shadow waved him off and shot Rouge a look of his own.

"You never did answer the question." He said, pulling her to him. She looked into his eyes with a coy smile.

"And what question is that?" She smirked when he narrowed his eyes.

"Come on, I actually enlisted Tim to do my dirty work. And I roped Sheila into helping. So, what made you like me?" She sighed and placed her hand on his cheek.

"You have beautiful eyes." She said with a smile. "They're just like rubies."

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A/N: And we have our first guest character, which I am certain I destroyed here. If so I apologize, I was unsure how much of a jerk I should make him. So yeah, we've covered part of the title. Not like it was some kind of mystery or something. Anyway, here's hoping you have a better day than it's been so far,

- Xada91

OCs: Bado the Hedgehog copyright A Werehog In A Box. Tim the "Shades of Grey" Cat copyright Xada91. Sheila Ramirez copyright Xada91. Jon the Cop, Warren the Cop - Xada91.


	5. Rubies and Misteltoe: Part 5: Dinner

A/N: Part five of the first Tale From Club Rouge. Dedicated to the duck of A Werehog In A Box.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Rubies and Mistletoe

Part 5: Dinner

* * *

"I am so lonely, so very lonely." Tim sang out, causing the others to cover their ears. Shadow looked at his friend while still holding onto Rouge.

"Then kiss Sheila already." This caused the vixen to blush brightly and run to the kitchen. Shadow raised an eyebrow at Rouge in confusion.

"Idiot." She muttered before going after the cook. Knuckles walked up to Shadow, chuckling and shaking his head.

"Smooth, man. Real smooth." The echidna said, pulling his sweatshirt over his head. "Well, what's next?" Shadow glanced at his watch, wondering what they had time for.

"Crap." He rushed to the kitchen, hoping he could make it in time. "Rouge, we're going to be late."

"Yeah, I'm a little busy fixing the mess you made." She said, slightly cross with the hedgehog. He thought quickly before an idea struck him. He approached the vixen carefully.

"How would you and Tim like to come with us?" He asked, completely ignoring the look Rouge sent him. For her part, Rouge was happy that Shadow was reaching out like that to Sheila and she was horrified of the notion of having dinner with Tim.

"Do you mind Rouge? I know how you feel about Tim." Sheila asked, crushing any hope the bat had of refusing with her pleading eyes.

"Fine." She sighed exaggeratedly before shooting Shadow a sly look. "You're make this up to me aren't you handsome?" She asked coyly, causing the normally confident hedgehog to swallow nervously. She was about to torture him further when Sheila wrapped her arms around each of them in turn.

"Thank you so much! Um…" She trailed off suddenly, her face flushing once again. "Could one of you ask him for me?" She refused to meet either of their gazes.

"I'll do it, I'm the only one here that won't get embarrassed or try to kill him." Shadow turned and walked towards the bar where Tim was making drinks for the police officers and Knuckles. "Tim you're going to dinner with Rouge, Sheila, and me." He said, sitting at the bar.

"Cool." Tim slid a soda down to Shadow without missing a beat. "When?"

"Now." The cat nodded and they left Knuckles and the cops to take care of the bar. They met the girls outside, standing next to Shadow's care, which was parked next to his motorcycle. Shadow and Rouge sat in the front while Tim and Sheila sat in the back. The drive to the car was only slightly awkward, Tim's natural…charm and Shadow's quiet humor managed to keep the girls from killing them. When they arrived at the restaurant the two guys helped the girls out of the car. It took them roughly ten minutes to be seated, which Tim filled by telling stories about a magical land where Shadow and Knuckles were night alongside a mysterious cat and talking swords ran amuck. As he became more and more into the story, a waiter came and said they could sit if they promised to keep Tim quiet. They ordered quickly and then sat in silence waiting for their food.

"So Shadow," Tim began, a mischievous smirk on his face, "how much do you like Rouge?" Shadow glared and both girls promptly kicked him under the table. When he showed absolutely no reaction they tried kicking him again.

"Yeah, he doesn't have any feeling below the knee so that won't work." The irate hedgehog said blankly. "Try smacking him in the head, that usually does the trick." He and Sheila looked away while Rouge did the honors.

"Ow."

"Okay, how are things Sheila?" Rouge asked pleasantly, ignoring the looks their table was getting. The vixen smiled sadly, reminding everyone that she had recently been dumped.

"And they say I'm tactless." Shadow muttered to the bat. Without losing her smile, she slammed her foot down on his. "Ow." He cringed slightly, earning himself a sympathetic look from Tim.

"I'm fine, thank you." Sheila said, watching Tim twirl his chopsticks expertly about his fingers. "How are you doing that?"

"Drums." He said, placing the utensil on the table. "Shadow's band."

"You have a band?" She asked Shadow, who shot Tim an annoyed look.

"I told you to keep that quiet." He told the light-grey cat. Rouge smacked him playfully on the arm, gaining his attention.

"Why didn't you tell us? You could've been playing at the club."

"Well, it was a surprise for your birthday. Now I have to think of something better." He grumbled, not blinking as he stared at the uncomfortable cat.

"Please stop that. I can feel my soul dying." He said pathetically. Rouge took pity on the cat and kissed Shadow on the cheek, causing him to break the soul-crushing eye contact. The waiter then brought them their food, hoping they would eat quickly and leave. They ate in a comfortable silence, not really bothered to fill the air with empty words. As they finished, Rouge started pestering Shadow about the band.

"Seriously, when are you going to play?" She asked for the fifth time.

"When we get a guitarist." He told her, refusing to meet her gaze. He knew what was coming, and what that would bring.

"What do you play?" Sheila asked, crushing his hopes for a distraction. He sighed in defeat as he paid the bill.

"Bass." He heard Rouge's half concealed squeal. The bat's long-term obsession with bass players had been an annoyance in the past. She wrapped her arms around his as they walked out into the night. "Please don't freak out." He begged quietly.

"I'll hold it until we drop them off." She said indicating the more awkward couple behind them. They piled into the car once again and drove to the club. Shadow kept the radio turned up to avoid any more embarrassment. When they reached the club Tim and Sheila got out of the car and waved Shadow and Rouge off. They entered the club together, keeping a slight distance between them. They found Knuckles asleep at one of the tables, several empty bottles splayed about.

"Knuckles?" Tim prodded the snoring echidna with his finger. "You alright?" Suddenly he shot up and looked at the startled cat.

"Curse I'm a'right." He stood up, wavering precariously. "M'best fren's on'y dat'n m'lurv." He slurred before falling over. Tim moved quickly, only just catching him as he passed out again.

"I have got to remember to lock the bar up when I leave." The cat said, attempting to hoist his friend onto his feet. "Sheila, can you help me carry him upstairs? Mr. Johnson will kill me if I drive him home like this." The two carried the echidna up to Tim's apartment, dumping him on the couch. "Well then." He caught Sheila's eye, causing her to blush. "Look, I don't want to sound like a creep, but there's a spare room and Knuckles will be here all night. So if you want…" He trailed off becoming embarrassed.

"Sure." She smiled reassuringly. "Do you have anything for me to sleep in?" He nodded and grabbed an oddly long shirt from the closet next to the bathroom.

"I have no idea who that belongs to, I keep all the clothing people leave here. I case they come back." He added when she gave him a worried look. "Oh, come on. I'm not that weird am I?"

"Quote 'and I'm Santa Clause's mistress?'"

"Good point."

* * *

* * *

A/N: _For the sake of the world, remember the duck. Never let his wonder fade. For if we do, then we have left the world in waste. Let not his quack be silent. His little wings are oh, so quaint, as they flap and they flutter. Listen little duck, for you may be gone but you are not forgotten._

- Xada91, in remembrance of A Werehog In A Box's duck, R.I.P.


	6. Rubies and Mistletoe: Part 6: Mistletoe

A/N: Part six of the first Tale From Club Rouge. In celebration of Living Pains, the first fan fiction I wrote, finally being finished.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Rubies and Mistletoe

Part 6: Mistletoe

* * *

As Shadow and Rouge approached the club they stopped at the same time. They were silent for a moment as they looked at the large club, the neon sign off, the word closed clearly displayed in every window. Every decoration they had set up outside exactly as it had been the night before. Nothing outside was out of place or moved around something was very wrong.

"You ever get that feeling of impending doom?" The ivory bat asked her boyfriend. He shot her a look before opening the door.

"Every time I wake up." Together they entered the club, ready for the worst. The worst, apparently, was outclassed by the sight before them. Sheila and Tim were sitting at the only stable that still had chairs while Knuckles, clearly drunk, screamed about being stabbed in the back by his 'home boy'.

"What did you do?" Tim said accusingly as soon as he saw Shadow. "He's been freaking out since we got here last night!" He pointed at the now weeping echidna. For his part, the echidna seemed not to notice any of the others in the room. Shadow eyed him carefully while talking to the dark-grey cat.

"He get the keys to the bar again?"

"Twice." Sheila said dryly.

"Hey, I was asleep the second time." Tim defended himself.

"And the first?" Rouge ground out, trying not to punch the cat.

"The cops were here. I thought he'd control himself for once."

"He's almost as bad as you are Tim." Shadow remarked casually. "At least he's actually on something. You just seem to freak out for no reason."

"True. Now go stop him so we can get to work." Rouge commanded the hedgehog. He went to the bar slowly, knowing how strong Knuckles was and how he acted while drunk.

"Knuckles?" He said slowly. The echidna was stronger but he could easily outsmart him any day. And that is when they are both sober. "What's wrong?" He sat across the bar from his friend.

"Ah tell yah wuz 'ong!" He slurred, barely on his managing to stand. "Ah'm sengle, ain't gahno gurl. Ahz useless work fer m'best fren an' ah wanna hit'em but ther'z three'em righ' now an'-" He hiccupped suddenly, almost falling over.

"Maybe you should sleep it off." Shadow said calmly, slowly so Knuckles could understand him. Without a word the echidna dropped to the floor to the sound of bottles rattling around. He turned back to the others. "It's okay Rouge, he didn't break anything. Tim, give me a hand?" The cat rushed over and helped him carry their passed out friend to the stage. "Let him sleep here so we can watch him."

"Well, now that he's taken care of, let's fix this place. The party's tomorrow." she clapped her hands, causing the two sober employees and her co-owner to start returning the chairs to their original positions. She went to see if the kitchen was ready for the party as she opened the door, she came face-to-face with Shadow. They went to go around each other when they heard a whoop from Tim.

"Look up Boss!" He called cheerfully. Looking up they saw mistletoe in the door frame. "Now you have to kiss!" Shrugging they kissed each other on the lips and went back to work. "Wait-what?" Tim asked confused. Sheila placed a chair down next to him.

"They're dating Tim, they've already kissed."

"They've dated for one day!"

"It's Rouge." She shrugged.

"True."

"Shut up Tim!" The bat yelled from inside the kitchen. Shadow simply shook his head. If it was not for this particular group of lunatics he would hate working. Especially since he owned the place he worked at. They were silent for a while, their work leaving little room for talk. An hour had passed when Shadow decided to go to the bathroom. He and Tim met each other at the hallways entrance and heard a whoop from Rouge. "Look up Tim!" She called mockingly.

"Crap." He and Shadow said at precisely the same time, with out having to look up. They look at each other, Shadow using his soul-crushing stare and Tim close to tears.

"Do it!" Sheila yelled excitedly.

"We're not going home today until you kiss!" Rouge yelled. Suddenly a thought occurred to Shadow.

"Okay, they keep pestering us if we don't do this. Three rules, no more than two seconds, lips closed completely and if you two speak of this we get to record you two making-out."

"Deal." Rouge said without blinking.

"What!?"

"Too late." Shadow and Tim took a deep breath and kissed. They promptly gagged and ran to the bathroom and bar respectively.

"Worth it." Rouge said, very satisfied with the situation. After the two conscious males and scrubbed their mouths and memories of that moment the club settled back into a routine of preparing for the party. It was not long however, before two people found themselves under the mistletoe.

"Dude, she'll kill me!" Tim whined as Rouge glared at the mistletoe, hoping it or the cat would burst into flames.

"Hey, it would have to be better than k-"

"Sheila no! Did you forget the deal!?" Rouge interrupted her, much to the annoyance of the two males.

"So close." Shadow muttered. "Okay, stop screwing around and get it over with. And Tim, so help me, if you enjoy it I will break your leg."

"And if she enjoys it?" Sheila asked, finding Rouge's frustration very entertaining.

"I'll break his other leg." He said simply. "And I might even be a little annoyed."

"That's not fair; if I say I don't like it she'll break my arms!" Feeling fed up, Rouge grabbed his collar and kissed him briefly before tossing him to the ground. On the way his head hit the door frame.

"I need mouthwash." She said darkly, stalking past the two still standing.

"Well Tim, you get to keep one leg. How was the kiss?" He asked pleasantly.

"Pain…much…pain…in my head."

"Good enough, looks like you still get to walk. Now start working." Soon they discovered a system to avoid the mistletoe. Every time they needed to go through a doorway, they simply called out the word 'doorway'. It worked well until Sheila dropped a quarter. It rolled until it can to stop directly beneath the mistletoe. She figured she could grab it quickly and be fine. She had just bent down to pick it up when-

"Doorway-hi Sheila-oh crap." Tim said, standing next to her. "Three in a row. I freaking told you the number three controlled the world. Well, this would be the high point of my kiss-count today." She blushed crimson at his words.

"Honey, get it over with. Please?" Rouge said, already annoyed with this particular tradition. Taking a deep breath she and Tim kissed each other tenderly. Despite herself, she enjoyed the kiss greatly. "Um…you don't have to kiss for a whole minute." They broke apart, Sheila blushing even more. Tim flashed her a quick grin before continuing on his way. Shadow shook his head and went to clean up the bar. He had just finished throwing away the last bottle when he decided to get a snack from the kitchen. He looked around carefully before opening the door.

"Crap." He said when he Sheila nearly walked into him. "Screw it, Rouge I'm sorry!" He kissed her quickly and walked into the kitchen. "I hate this part of the holiday! It's way too awkward!" After another few hours they decided to have lunch. They took a table and set up places for everyone, including Knuckles. The echidna was still unconscious, despite all the noise and yelling. Sheila was in the kitchen, cooking lunch for everyone as they sat at the table. After a while Rouge decided to go help her carry the things out to them. At the same time Sheila was coming out to ask for some help. Needless to say, they met in the middle.

"Nice." Tim said as he and Shadow watched them stare at each other. "Note: this does not count as the deal."

"He has point ladies, so don't try any of that later." Shadow said smoothly. The girls sighed and leaned forward. Their lips met briefly and they pulled apart quickly. "See, that was nothing."

"Like you guys?" Sheila slapped a hand over her mouth the second the words escaped. Rouge smacked herself on the forehead wearily.

"Success!" Tim said with satisfaction. "Told you we wouldn't have to trick them."

"You were right." He shook the cat's hand.

"Okay, okay. We'll do…that…later. Right now we have a party to decorate for."

"On one condition." Shadow said, giving Rouge and Sheila a level look. "We cancel the mistletoe thing for the rest of the day." The other three nodded their consent. "Fantastic. Now can we eat?"

* * *

A/N: An ending in celebration of and ending. The first tale is complete; the second will be Christmas Celebrations. See you then.


	7. Celebrating Chaos: Part 1: Frustration

A/N: Part one of the second tale. This is the twisted and mutilated version of an idea submitted in a review. As such, it is dedicated to GoddessGidrah29, the one that did so.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Celebrating Chaos

Tale Theme: What I've Done, by Linkin Park

Part 1: Frustration

* * *

Knuckles sat on his bed, staring at his clenched fists. With a frustrated growl he slammed his fist into his bedpost, cracking the old wood. He paced his apartment restlessly, thinking about what had happened at the Christmas party. Beyond his job being lost he was certain his life might as well be over. He continued to pace, working himself into a frenzy, much like he had on that night.

* * *

_Three days earlier…_

* * *

It was the night of the party and Club Rouge was finally presentable. It had taken the employees, including one very hung-over echidna, most of the previous day to clean up the mess. Knuckles had apologized profusely and agreed to bathroom duty for the next three months. They each took turns changing in one of the rooms in Tim's apartment. As Shadow descended the stairs, he found Knuckles waiting for him.

"What's up?" He asked the echidna, still annoyed from the day before. Knuckles fell into step next to the hedgehog.

"I don't think I should come to the party." He said while avoiding Shadow's eyes. Shadow stopped walking and gave his friend a steady look. Knuckles wished the hedgehog wouldn't stare at him like that, it was very uncomfortable. "I need some time by myself…to think."

"What's wrong?" Shadow's voice was quiet, the tone he used when he felt his version of concern. The two stood in silence, neither knowing how to break it. The echidna finally sighed wearily.

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." He managed to force a smile onto his features. "Since we won't be working tonight, I figured I could take the day off from everything." Shadow turned his gaze on the echidna briefly before he too sighed.

"I guess. Everyone'll blame me for this, I just know it." The hedgehog muttered darkly. Knuckles welcomed the slight change in topic. He chuckled to himself, causing Shadow to smirk. "You know it's true."

"That doesn't make it any less funny." The two laughed as they went their separate ways. Knuckles walked to his car, his smile fading with every step. He pulled the door open roughly, only focused on getting home. There he could think in peace without the world's distractions. There he could figure out at what point his world had begun to fall apart. He nearly got his tail stuck in his haste to close the door. It took him only two tries to start the car, the old engine rumbling to life with an unsettling groan. He made sure not to drive to far over the limit; he did not consider dying a pleasant answer to his problem. He drove with the radio off, enjoying the relative quiet of his car's rumblings. As he turned into the parking lot to his apartment building, he had become even more frustrated than before. He locked his door, not feeling the futility of that act as he turned and walked towards the elevator. As he rode the four floors to his apartment, he focused on the two that caused him this frustration. He growled at the cheerful ding of the elevator, storming down the hallway to his apartment. He slammed the door behind himself, only pausing to lock it before dropping onto the couch. He leaned his head back, his large fists covering his eyes. He stayed in that position for several minutes, his mind swirling with emotions.

"Crap." He muttered when his phone began to ring. He pulled the offending device from his pocket. He was about to throw it when he glanced at the name. He stared at it for a few seconds, not sure if he should answer or not. "Crap," he muttered again before answering. "Ser?"

"Hey Knuckles." The female voice said over the phone. "How're you doing?" Knuckles smirked faintly at her question.

"Fine." He said, not really feeling the words.

"Liar." She said instantly. "Mind if I come over?" Knuckles thought about that for a moment. In truth he just wanted to be alone, but he figured he could live with having Ser around.

"If you want." He said distantly.

"Okay, I just have to tell my roommate and I'll be right over." He hung up a few seconds after her. He spent the next thirty-six minutes in silence, staring at his coffee table. He jumped when the doorbell rang without warning. He stood and walked to the door. "Open up!" Ser's voice came from the other side of the doorway. He held the door open for her, closing it once she entered. "I haven't been here in forever." She placed a paper bag on the coffee table. She pulled two bottles out of it, tossing one to the echidna before sitting in his recliner. He caught the bottle and carried it over to the couch, placing it unopened on the table. "So what's up Knuckles?"

"What do you mean?" He looked the attractive hawk over. She had not changed since the last time he had seen her. She still wore her short feathers brushed across her golden eyes, almost as though she did not care about her appearance. She wore the same leather jacket he had always seen her in over blue sweatpants. Her simple clothes brought a small smile to his face, a welcome distraction from his troubles.

"You sounded upset over the phone." She leaned forward in the recliner expectantly. "So what's wrong?" He frowned at her almost demanding tone. He looked at the bottle on the table, watching the afternoon light shine through it. He had never drunk two days in a row, mainly due to the painful hangovers he frequently had. With a sigh he ripped the cap off the bottle. At least he ad a chance of making it through the night with Ser's help.


	8. Celebrating Chaos: Part 2: Anger

A/N: Part two of the second tale. And I am pointlessly proud of myself. I spelled 'inebriated' right without spell check. And then I misspelled 'pointlessly.' Good for me.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Celebrating Chaos

Tale Theme: What I've Done, by Linkin Park

Part 2: Anger

* * *

He should not have let her come over in the first place. If he had simply stayed by himself he would not have worked himself into such a frenzy. It was not the hawk's fault; she was only trying to help him. With a sigh Knuckles collapsed onto his couch. If he had just said no, everything would still be okay.

* * *

_Three days earlier…_

* * *

The echidna and hawk laughed loudly as Knuckles recounted a story about him, Shadow and Tim enforcing the 'golden rule' of Club Rouge. On the table and floor were several empty bottles scattered about. The bottle in his fist sloshed as he gestured dramatically. Ser giggled when he the drink splashed on his chest, soaking his shirt. He looked down at it before pulling it off with a shrug. Ser shoved him with her foot when he dropped down next to her. She cradled her own drink carefully, wary of the inebriated echidna.

"Suh th'n th' cat sez we should do pl'n thirten! So Shadoo 'n' ah luk th' utha way. An' weh hur this clikin' noiz. Ah tun' 'rund an' see 'im tryin' to light' th' guy on fire! Ah told Shads. Took'em a min buh he told Tim to le'em go." After a year's experience of deciphering Knuckles' slurred speech Ser easily managed to make out his meaning.

"So what did the cat do?" She smiled at him brightly, causing him to blush and look away quickly.

"Tim lit'em on fire. Goh 'is pay doked fer a week." He replied, laughing lightly. He finished off his drink and dropped the empty bottle on the ground. "Y'know wha'? we should go ta th' Kersmis parta." Her eyes widened at his slurred suggestion.

"I don't think we should-" He pulled her unsteadily to her feet.

"Come'n, we could use s'm fun!" He began pulling her to the door by her hand. She smiled worriedly at his confident grin. "An' we c'n make sure overruns hav'n fun."

"Fine, but neither of us are driving." She pulled out her phone as the echidna attempted to guide her down the stairs. "I'm calling a cab." She managed to keep him from tumbling down the stairs with one hand, but dropped her drink in his place. She gave him annoyed look before they continued to the parking lot. They made their stumbling way to the front of the building. They stood out front, each using each other to keep their balance. When the cab arrived they gave the driver instructions to the club. The trip itself was relatively peaceful, most businesses being closed for the next three days due to the holidays. When they arrived, Ser quickly paid and helped the echidna to the door. "Now look, we go in, say hi and leave right?"

"Yeah, s'just a quick visit." He assured her, pulling the door open. "Ladies firs'." He said with a grin. She smiled tightly and grabbed his hand. The club had the friends and families of the employees, all mingling and having a good time. Ser kept a tight hold of Knuckles' hand as he pulled her to the dance floor. "Wanna dance?" He grinned as he pulled her close to himself. Her eyes darted around the room worriedly before she nodded. They danced to the fast-paced music made by the band. When she looked up to the stage she gasped in surprise. "What's wrong?" He asked, following her gaze. Shadow and his band were on stage, playing whatever song they could think of. Next to Tim was a small basket, half-filled with broken drumsticks. "Yeah, tha's Tim."

"I know…" She said quietly. Her eyes widened when the song came to a close. She grabbed his hand and pulled him from the stage. "I think we should-" She was cutoff when he stopped suddenly. She turned to look at him. He wore an odd expression in his face, somewhere between anger and sadness. She followed his gaze and saw the black hedgehog from the stage kissing a white bat. She was shook from her thoughts when Knuckles began making his way to them. "Knuckles, wait!" She grabbed his hand again, only for him to rip it from her grasp. He increased his pace until he was running towards the couple, shoving people out of his way. "Knuckles!" The couple looked up at her shout. The echidna's fist slammed into the hedgehogs jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"Knuckles?!" The bat yelled before he grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss. She tried to pry him off of herself desperately. Shadow climbed to his feet and pulled Knuckles off her with a growl.

"The hell is wrong with you?!" He yelled, standing between the drunk echidna and the bat. "Are you drunk again?!"

"Bast'rd." He said, barely managing to stand on his own. Ser grabbed his arm and tried to pull him to the door.

"I'm really sorry! We had a lot to-"

"Ser!" A commanding voice yelled behind her. She winced as she was grabbed and turned around forcefully. She looked into furious blue eyes for minute before looking away. "The hell are you doing here? Why is he drunk?" When she was unable to answer he growled and pulled them both to the door. "Just go home. I'll deal with you later." The dark-grey cat hissed at her. He handed her his car keys and stormed back inside. "Oh, and Knuckles?" The echidna looked at him. The cat's foot connected with his face violently.

"Tim! What the hell?" The hawk dropped to her knees to help her friend.

"The rules apply to everyone. Remember that Ser." He called over his shoulder as he reentered the club. Ser helped Knuckles to his feet and guided him to the cat's car. She dropped him into the passenger's seat. "You're a mess, you know that?" Her only response was a pained groan. "Tim's going to kill me later."


	9. Celebrating Chaos: Part 3: Fear

A/N: I have returned. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 1: Celebrating Chaos

Tale Theme: What I've Done, by Linkin Park

Part 3: Fear

* * *

The red echidna stared down at his shattered coffee table. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He had seen Tim angry to the point of violence before, but he had never been on the receiving end of it. A tired moan caught his attention. He glanced at the door to his bedroom. Standing there, draped in one of his shirts, was none other than Ser the Hawk. She frowned and dropped onto the couch next to him, hugging her legs to her chest. They sat in a nervous silence for several tense minutes.

"Hey." She whispered finally. The frightened quality of her voice tore at his heart. The reason for that fear crushed any hope he had held that the previous night was a simple dream. One induced by his stupid actions the day before and the even more drunk state he had entered to recover. He and the lovely hawk had often been…inebriated, but that night…

_The previous night, 10:15…_

Knuckles kicked over his coffee table angrily, stumbling over a few empty bottles in the process. He fell to the ground heavily, where he remained for several minutes. A sudden, piercing sound ripped through his skull. He winced and covered his ears in pain. Eventually he came to the realization that the noise was coming from his cell phone. Feeling no motivation to search for and retrieve the device, he instead waited for it to stop ringing. Once it did he spent the next twenty minutes trying to work up the nerve to get off the floor. To his less than clear mind, there were far more reasons for him to remain on the floor. He had effectively gotten himself fired, alienated most, if not all, of his friends, and destroyed most of his home. A series of mysterious clicks followed by the sound of his front door opening failed to motivate him to rise.

"Knuckles? You home-?" She froze in mid-sentence upon entering the living room. "What happened?" She made her way to his side and attempted to help him up. "Come on Knuckles, get up."

"Th' point?" He moaned wearily. "Gah' no future. Who cares?"

"Shut up. Now come on, let's get you to bed." She dragged him to his feet and somehow managed to get him to his bed. He collapsed onto it groaning lightly. She watched him for a moment before shaking her head violently. "I'm going to sleep in the living room okay? Call me if you need anything." She tried to walk away, only to be stopped by his hand wrapped tightly around hers. He looked at her with glazed, almost pleading eyes. She smiled softly and brushed his quills out of his eyes. "I'll be in the next room okay?" His eyes closed and he seemed to fall asleep. She kissed him lightly on the forehead. "I promise everything will be fine." She grabbed an extra blanket that had survived Knuckles' rampage and lay down on his couch. The two lay in their respective positions, each thinking about the other.

* * *

_Present time…_

* * *

The echidna was sickened and enraged by what he had done. He did not deserve what ever happened to him, he deserved far worse. He could only image what Ser thought of him, after that night. He did not doubt that she hated him, he hated himself. If the others found out what had happened…the thought terrified him. He nervously turned his gaze to the pensive hawk sitting next to him.

* * *

_The previous night, 11:32…_

* * *

Knuckles' eyes blinked open slowly. He climbed out of his bed, having completely forgotten that the hawk was asleep on his couch. He made his way to the fridge hoping for something to eat. His dazed mind barely registered the light moan that came from the living room. He opened the metal door and winced at the bright light. A loud moan caught his attention finally. He glanced over to the girl asleep on his couch. The light from the fridge light her face in an oddly beautiful manner. He made his unsteady way to her sleeping form. He brushed his large hand against her cheek gently.

"Knuckles?" She breathed as her eyes fluttered open. They stared at each other intently, neither entirely willing to take the step. Knuckles could feel his heart racing as he looked at her. All his blurry mind could process was that she look incredible. He leant down met her in a wild, passionate kiss. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, their minds empty of all reason.

* * *

_Present time…_

* * *

Her eyes looked so uncertain, so frightened that it broke his heart. His hands clenched into fists in his frustration. His weakness sparked an intense anger. The repercussions of what he had done filled him with fear. He worked his mouth silently, trying to put how he felt into words. His head dropped, hiding his gaze with his quills.

"Ser, I'm…"

* * *

_The previous night, 11:36…_

* * *

The two fought for dominance as they made their way to the echidna's bedroom. They fell to the ground in their playful struggle, Ser pinning Knuckles to the ground. She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling at her shirt.

* * *

_Present time…_

* * *

"I'm sorry…" The hawk muttered quietly. His head snapped in her direction at that. "I shouldn't have…" His arms were wrapped around her in a heartbeat. He held her close as he tried to comfort her. His grip tightened as he thought about her words.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Ser." He held her to his chest as he wondered about the past few days. "It's my fault. And I'm…" He trailed off weakly. He was what? Sorry to be sure. Furious with himself of course. But deep down he felt something akin to relief. As though he had been avoiding something and finally dealt with it. He smiled warmly and began stroking her back. "And I promise everything will be just fine."


	10. Chaotic Celebration: Part 1: Preparation

A/N: Part one of the third tale. Side-B to Celebrating Chaos. And a happy Living Pains Day to all.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Living Pains: Tales From Club Rouge

Tale 3: Chaotic Celebration

Tale Theme: Last Resort, by Papa Roach

Part 1: Preparation

* * *

Shadow punched the wall in fury. Rouge quietly sat and watched him pace her apartment. Tim sat outside on her balcony. Shadow had evicted him after the cat refused to tell them who the hawk was. The bat jumped when her phone rang. Shadow ignored her. His rage was focused on a certain echidna. The party had been going great until Knuckles showed up. Shadow's hands clenched into fists a the thought of Knuckles kissing Rouge. He should have known something was up from the moment the echidna left.

* * *

_Three days earlier…_

* * *

"I guess. Everyone'll blame me for this, I just know it." The hedgehog muttered darkly. Knuckles welcomed the slight change in topic. He chuckled to himself, causing Shadow to smirk. "You know it's true."

"That doesn't make it any less funny." The two laughed as they went their separate ways. Shadow walked towards the bar, trying to figure out why Knuckles really wanted to leave. His attention was caught by Tim and Sheila debating the menu for the party.

"Honestly, I think we should have haggis." The dark grey cat said with a grin.

"Tim, no one, in the entire world, likes haggis. Not even you."

"True, but it is traditional. And fun to watch other people eat." He said, balancing a stack of plates on his left hand. "And therefore, I win."

"That doesn't even make sense!" She sighed in exasperation. "Can we please take this seriously?" Tim frowned thoughtfully.

"That's rude, you know I don't take anything serious." He added another plate to the stack.

"Tim, put those down." Shadow said, grabbing half the plates and placing them onto the bar. The cat gave him a dirty look as he set the rest of the plates down. "And no haggis, it took us weeks to get the smell out after your birthday." Tim grinned widely.

"Yeah, good times." Shadow gave him a level look. "Shame about the piñata."

"It was shaped like my head." The ebony hedgehog growled at him.

"I had fun." Rouge called from the kitchen door. "Worked out a lot of aggression towards the birthday boy." Tim grinned at her.

"You all love me, I'm bleeding adorable." Shadow and Rouge exchanged a dubious look while Sheila blushed. "Oh, and that guy I told you about agreed to play."

"The chameleon? Good." He pointedly ignored Rouge's gave. After a few minutes of her staring at him he finally caved. "What?"

"So?" She leaned up close to him, causing the ebony hedgehog to back up against the bar. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you going to play for me?" The ivory bat grinned when he blushed.

"Um…yes?" Her grin spread and she kissed him briefly on the lips. "Thank you!" Shadow looked bewildered as she turned and walked off to straiten some of the tablecloths. Tim smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Congrats Boss, she owns you." Shadow brushed the cat's hand off his shoulder.

"Thanks." He gave Tim and Sheila a look. "Is everyone's break over yet?" The two employees exchanged a sheepish look. "Good, now can we get back to work?"

* * *

Shadow and Rouge stood at the front door, Shadow straightening his dress shirt nervously. Rouge grabbed his hand with a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. The ebony hedgehog sincerely disliked crowds. He preferred to spend time with a small group of close friends at most. He allowed very few exceptions to this rule, to varying degrees of success. He hoped tonight would go well, for Rouge, Tim, and Sheila if not for himself. He would be only slightly annoyed if it went badly, unless something terrible happened.

"You're going to give yourself an aneurism if you don't relax." Rouge gave his hand a light squeeze. "Since when are you nervous?"

"Since you and Sheila decided to have a Christmas party here." He sent her a sly look. "We could always slip away unnoticed."

"And miss hearing you play? Never." She laughed at the scowl that brought. "There, feeling better?" He shot her an incredulous look.

"You teased me to make me feel better?"

"Did it work?" He looked thoughtful before frowning in annoyance.

"Yes." He sighed when there was a knock on the door. "That should be Espio. Our new guitarist." He added quickly. The ivory bat blinked in surprise.

"You got Espio to play guitar? He can play guitar?" Shadow gave her a confused look. "What?"

"Am I the only one that's never met this guy?" The hedgehog shook his and opened the door. The purple chameleon stood there awkwardly. In his left hand was a guitar case.

"Hello Rouge." He nodded to the bat before turning to the hedgehog. "You must be Shadow. I'm-"

"You can play guitar?" Rouge interrupted. Espio paused before shaking his head with a groan.

"And you ask why I keep to myself?"

"I like this guy." Shadow said to Rouge.

"Duh, he's you with the ability to be polite." They exchanged annoyed looks before turning back to the confused chameleon. "Go ahead and set up on the stage. Shadow and I are going to greet the guests as they arrive."

"Okay?" He quickly made his way to the stage, nodding to the cat. "Glad to see you outside of the regular business Tim."

"Yeah…how did you guys track me down last time?" The cat asked while setting up a basket next to the drums.

"You showed up to the crime scene four times. After you beat the guy. And you waved to the security camera each time."

"I like that gas station. He should not have gone to it." Tim stood up and wiped his hands together.

"Right. What's with the basket?"

"Drumsticks." Espio gave him an odd look before shaking his head.

"Never mind. So, just anywhere's fine?"

"Yeah." The grey cat said with a nod.


End file.
